SET amp owners thread

[cal3713]

I have not read through this thread until now. Many great systems in this thread. The last posts got me exited to try SITs, I got some Tokin SITs and a half finished SizzySIT DIY amp. I have several different amps, including a pair of DIY LadyDay LD-91 Mark II 300B monoblocks and use them on Altec A5s and Altec Mod 17 speakers. The LD-91 300B amps are great sounding amplifiers and I fully undestand those that stick with SE300Bs. They are the amps to go to on a quiet evening with some good red or some brandy in the glass. Day to day I still go back to my First Watt DIY amps, probably both because of convenience and because the FW amps do many things quite well. Maybe I have used tubes for too many years and had to fix my tube amps too often so I trust the FW amps more.

As you can see from my system post above, I also have really enjoyed my First Watt experience. My DIY F4s supplemented the pictured Coincident 300b monos, which had previously beat Atmasphere M60s, a Lyngdorf TDAI 3400, a First Watt SIT2, and a Pass Labs XA25 & XA30.5. I also built a pair of SissySITs based on the Tonkin SITs, but preferred the F4s in the end.

If I ever end up with more sensitive speakers, I'm interested in trying the 45 driving a 45 typology Mayer and Radu Tarta both use, but I wonder if I'll end up missing what the F4s driven by my DHT pre provide. I'm currently reading all of these SET and horn threads trying to figure out if I should try some horns. Will take a trip down to Austin to hear the Sadurni system after I get vaccinated (first shot next Tuesday!) to hear what they can do...

 

[christoph]

Christoph, thank you so much for for your input and for liking my room. I'm quite proud of it as I did it all myself. This is what it looked like one and a half year ago :
View attachment 75837
Now having some work to do on the acoustics.
To the amps; interesting that you and your friends liked the VA350 more than the Ayon. From the looks, the Ayon is miles ahead, but the 3 will cost around double as much as a used 350. Maybe I should really give a VA350 a try...

Wow, just wow!!
That makes your room even more impressive

If you remove the ugly tube cages of the KR Baby 'Zilla, it looks a LOT better

 

[remdeck]

Wow, just wow!!
That makes your room even more impressive

If you remove the ugly tube cages of the KR Baby 'Zilla, it looks a LOT better

View attachment 75846

Thank you so much, Christoph!
Actually I think you have the most beautiful room... With a view
Baby Kronzilla looks cool!! There is one for sale 80km from my place...

Grüße aus Satzvey

 

[christoph]

Thank you so much, Christoph!
Actually I think you have the most beautiful room... With a view
Baby Kronzilla looks cool!! There is one for sale 80km from my place...

Grüße aus Satzvey

Thanks for your kind words.

If the KR 350i is within reach financially, you should drive there and give it a listen.
It is really an excellent amp

 

[Kingrex]

Wow, just wow!!
That makes your room even more impressive

If you remove the ugly tube cages of the KR Baby 'Zilla, it looks a LOT better

View attachment 75846

Your power tubes are redplating???

 

[DeadWax]

Your power tubes are redplating???

I wondered that at first too...I suspect it's the photo reflection off the red rug? We'll see what @christoph says.

 

[cal3713]

I wondered that at first too...I suspect it's the photo reflection off the red rug? We'll see what @christoph says.

Agreed. The the volume knob is redplating too!

 

[Atmasphere]

My DIY F4s supplemented the pictured Coincident 300b monos, which had previously beat Atmasphere M60s, a Lyngdorf TDAI 3400, a First Watt SIT2, and a Pass Labs XA25 & XA30.5. I also built a pair of SissySITs based on the Tonkin SITs, but preferred the F4s in the end.

FWIW there are a good number of updates available for the M-60.

 

[cal3713]

FWIW there are a good number of updates available for the M-60.

Indeed, the M60s (3.2s I think) were very good Ralph. Nothing but respect for your creations.

I have recommended them to multiple people over on Audiogon.

 

[christoph]

I wondered that at first too...I suspect it's the photo reflection off the red rug? We'll see what @christoph says.

That is the getter mirroring the carpet

 

[kjartanb]

As you can see from my system post above, I also have really enjoyed my First Watt experience. My DIY F4s supplemented the pictured Coincident 300b monos, which had previously beat Atmasphere M60s, a Lyngdorf TDAI 3400, a First Watt SIT2, and a Pass Labs XA25 & XA30.5. I also built a pair of SissySITs based on the Tonkin SITs, but preferred the F4s in the end.

If I ever end up with more sensitive speakers, I'm interested in trying the 45 driving a 45 typology Mayer and Radu Tarta both use, but I wonder if I'll end up missing what the F4s driven by my DHT pre provide. I'm currently reading all of these SET and horn threads trying to figure out if I should try some horns. Will take a trip down to Austin to hear the Sadurni system after I get vaccinated (first shot next Tuesday!) to hear what they can do...

Nice cal3713. Hmm now I also need to put the F4s on the DIY list I have some DIY active pre amps (B1 Korg and an Aikido with 6cg7s). The Aikido pre might have enough gain for the F4 in combination with Altec A5s. There are so many nice kits to build and test.

 

[cal3713]

Nice cal3713. Hmm now I also need to put the F4s on the DIY list I have some DIY active pre amps (B1 Korg and an Aikido with 6cg7s). The Aikido pre might have enough gain for the F4 in combination with Altec A5s. There are so many nice kits to build and test.

I've read about a number of people using the Akido/F4 pairing with success. And yes, you should give it a shot. There's never a negative report in the build thread, and many people say it ends up as their favorite. As a pure source follower, it's likely the most transparent of the FW offerings.

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/234355-guide-building-pass-f4-amplifier.html

Here's what Nelson has to say about the F4 in the manual: "The combination of a simple Class A circuit operated without feedback and the good objective performance gives us a superb sounding amplifier. The low distortion, bandwidth extension, and high damping results in midrange clarity, treble detail, and control on the bottom end. While these are available from most good solid state amplifiers, the F4 also brings depth, imaging, midrange warmth and top-end sweetness. Overall, it is one of the best sounding amplifiers, and if you can live with unity voltage gain in your amplifier, it is possibly your best choice."

 

[remdeck]

I've done it and bought the KR Audio VA350 Purity.
Thanks Christoph and all others for your input.
My wife and I did the first listen together and she heard the difference to the McIntosh MC7300 witin seconds....and after 15 seconds she had tears in her eyes (Anette Askvik - Liberty)
Next song was Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold...now I had also tears in my eyes
This is realy something...very very good.

My 350 is called Purity. This amp has WBT rca inputs and better LS terminals. The inside is to be inspected.
As Christoph has the same amp; do you have a copy of the Manual, as mine came without. I don't know about the impedance screws. I expect I now have 4 ohms, which is not optimal with my AA Uno.

 

[matakana]

I've done it and bought the KR Audio VA350 Purity.
Thanks Christoph and all others for your input.
My wife and I did the first listen together and she heard the difference to the McIntosh MC7300 witin seconds....and after 15 seconds she had tears in her eyes (Anette Askvik - Liberty)
Next song was Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold...now I had also tears in my eyes
This is realy something...very very good.

My 350 is called Purity. This amp has WBT rca inputs and better LS terminals. The inside is to be inspected.
As Christoph has the same amp; do you have a copy of the Manual, as mine came without. I don't know about the impedance screws. I expect I now have 4 ohms, which is not optimal with my AA Uno.

View attachment 76075

View attachment 76076

I Dig the Synth!

 

[cal3713]

I Dig the Synth!

Me too! My favorite instrument. I just find the sounds you can make with these things indicating. And they all sound so different. My desire to collect is also strong.

A prophet 5 would also be fun!

 

[christoph]

I've done it and bought the KR Audio VA350 Purity.
Thanks Christoph and all others for your input.
My wife and I did the first listen together and she heard the difference to the McIntosh MC7300 witin seconds....and after 15 seconds she had tears in her eyes (Anette Askvik - Liberty)
Next song was Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold...now I had also tears in my eyes
This is realy something...very very good.

My 350 is called Purity. This amp has WBT rca inputs and better LS terminals. The inside is to be inspected.
As Christoph has the same amp; do you have a copy of the Manual, as mine came without. I don't know about the impedance screws. I expect I now have 4 ohms, which is not optimal with my AA Uno.

View attachment 76075

View attachment 76076

That looks very nice and obviously it sounds even nicer
I'm happy that you and your wife love the sound, this amp is really special and after half an hour it sounds even better

I'm away from home until Sunday evening, so I can not check for the manual and therefore what screw setting is 8 ohm and which one is 4 ohm.
In the meantime, have you tried to google for that info?

Brad @morricab found the 8 ohm setting to sound better on most speakers iIrc.
Maybe he can chime in on this one...

You can leave it as is and as soon as we know what setting is 4 or 8 ohm, you can try and use the one that sounds better to you

I think you have Schuko plugs, right?
After you got acqainted with the new sound, you can try and turn the Schuko plug and then listen again.
You might be in for a pleasant surprise...

 

[remdeck]

@matakana and @cal3713
My Mini is serial 113* Last digit is gone. So mine is one of the first ones, with the transparant pitch and modulation wheels.
I found it in a basement in Venice, while buying a mixing desk for my job. I payed €100 for it

Although I had to service it, it is in good condition. The oscillator board is a updated version, which is more stable in pitch and one oscillator is sometimes gone. I have all the replacement parts, I will replace them soon. Ducked away for 5 years, as my wife saw it, she took the Mini and placed it there

Really a lovely synth!

 

[remdeck]

@christoph
It is really something. We had some people over yesterday. Nobody with much listening experience. They were very impressed and they had big smiles on their faces
And that, while still having problems in the bass, so the sound has no foundation, which would impress listeners. It is really the resolution and directness of sound..

Would be great if you could send me the manual. As my speakers are 8 ohms, in that setting they would sound better.
On the net I have found some pics, but nothing which was explaining how to set for different impedance.

I will try reversing the power cable

 

[morricab]

updates on my DIY system...now all SET (I had a PP tube amp in there for a while ...no more!)

 

[Ron Resnick]

Very cool, Brad! Congratulations!